Midshipman Nelson
by ZizziHungarian
Summary: Three midshipmen on one ship. One day they will be famous. But now they are just children. Horatio Nelson. Edward Pellew. James Sawyer. And my first fanfiction in English. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fanfiction published in English. But I couldn't write it without my sister, Marta and my friend, Ruth who corrected my horrible grammar (because I'm Hungarian). Thank you for them!

Chapter 1

An ugly morning had come to Porsmouth. The grey clouds were flying low, cold, keen wind was blowing from the sea and it was raining too. The people were all morose. They buttoned up their coats and they were hurrying to get down to their work.

FG Foster, Second Lieutenant of the _Galathea_ frigate, put his hat on and ran across the harbour. He clenched his teeth to stop them chattering, and jumped between the pools like a clumsy frog. He had already seen his ship and was dreaming about his warm, dry cabin. But something forced him to stop. In front or him a little boy appeared as if grown out of the ground. He was a small child, with big green-blue eyes, pale face and wavy, golden brown hair. He was wearing a midshipman's hat but his clothes weren't in line with Navy regulations.Foster opened his purse to give some coins to the lad (he thought he was begging - besides where the Hell had he got that hat?) when the boy asked him in a thin, tuneful voice:

"Excuse me sir, can you show me which ship is the _Raisonable_?"

Fosterstood gaping. What could this ragged child do in the best ship of the fleet? He pointed, hesitating, at the battleship which was achored in the entry of the harbour.

"That is it."

"Ahha." the boy's voice was less confident. „And how can I get there?"

"You can't before eight o'clock. They don't send a boat to the shore until then." answered the Lieutenant, and the question tumbled out from his lips. "Why do you want to go there?"

"I start my service at there as a midshipman!" said the lad and he blushed. "My uncle, Maurice Suckling, is the captain of the _Raisonable_!"

"Oh!"Foster stared on the boy with wonder. He has never seen such a poor-looking midshipman. But he could restrain himself to say loudly. "I can give you one of our boats to take you to your ship. Now come with me, I invite you to breakfast on board the _Galathea_!"

"Thank you very much, sir!" answered the boy so seriously thatFoster nearly broke into laughter.

"What's your name, young man?" asked when his merriment subsided.

"Horatio Nelson." came the answer.

Please review to me! Or I will continue it... I'm very curious what do you think about it!


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for the positive reviews! I'm glad because you liked my story. Here is the next chapter.

Chapter 2

Horatio Nelson was standing astonished on the deck of the _Raisonable_. He was holding his baggage in one of his hands, and a ring cake in the other, which had been given to him by Foster, when he had left the _Galathea_. It was clear that the boy wasn't a beggar, but the Lieutenant wanted to give him something.

Meanwhile the sunshine was breaking through the clouds and plating the harbour with gold. The rain was still pouring, and the sunbeams broke on the raindrops. A beautiful, big rainbow spanned the sky over the sea.

Horatio was looking the strange sight with his mouth open. He started when someone spoke to him:

"Who are you, sir?"

He turned around and noticed a young Lieutenant near him. He was a tall, blond man. His blue eyes were glittering cheerfully, and his face was round like a little baby's. Horatio introduced himself and saluted too as he had seen the marines do.

"I'm Charles Hammond, the Fourth Lieutenant." the man shook hands with the boy. " The captain wants to speak with you. He is waiting for you on the quarterdeck."

Horatio glanced up there. Captain Suckling was standing with two other Lieutenants. _"Now I have to go and say something to him?" _thought the lad. He looked at Hammond to ask for help, but the man had already gone to discipline a group of unruly sailors. So he took a deep breath and walked up to the quarterdeck.

Captain Suckling saw the child coming and he silenced the Lieutenants with one movement of his hand.

"Nelson, aren't you?" he asked the boy before he could say anything. "Which one?"

"Horatio." was the shy answer. Suckling frowned.

"Your father said your brother would come to sea."

"Yes, he said that first, but then… then he changed is mind."

"Oh, there is no problem." said the captain with a kindly smile, while he thought to himself _"The old Nelson is a fool! He sent his smallest, most sickly son to  
be a midshipman. What will I say him if a cannon-ball should hit this little boy  
in the first battle?"_ But he said loudly only this:

"Go to the midshipmen's berth, I will send for you when it's necessary."

"All right." answered Horatio.

"Sir. On the ship always say 'sir'!" Suckling reminded him, and he thought: _"Oh, my God, pull out my tongue if I promise something again!"  
_  
Horatio hadn't got any idea about where the midshipmen's berth might be. At frist he strayed in the between-decks (the marines laughed at him), then in the galley and finally he found the right place. He opened the door carefully and he stopped immediately. Inside the berth chaos  
was raging. In the cramped cabin two boy were frisking, stumbling between the furniture, while a taller man was trying to hit another on the head with a thick book. They were fightig for several minutes, but the tall boy tripped over a hammock and let fall the book from his  
hand. When he stood up he noticed Horatio in the doorway.

"Hello!" he greeted him happily and he dusted off his trousers. "Come in!"

Horatio went in and stopped near the door.

"Are you a newbie? I see." laughed the boy. "I'm James Sawyer."

He was thin, strong-muscled boy. He didn't wear his curly, brown hair in a ponytail, and his grey eyes were full of life.

"And he is Edward Pellew." he pointed at his mate who was panting in his hammock. This boy was small and a little fat, with black hair and eyes. Horatio told them his name too and inspected the midshipmen.

"What is it in your hand?" asked Pellew when he could breathe normally.

"My baggage."

"No, in your other hand!"

"A ring cake."

"Give it to me!"

"Here you are." Horatio handed the cake to him.

"Edward, you will burst if you eat so much!" Sawyer warned him.

"What's the matter now?" was indiginant the chubby boy. "None of you will eat it, because he will be seasick and you don't like it.

Seasick? Horatio winked at Pellew. How do you know that? Even though there wasn't much fresh air in this hole… And the ship was rolling wildly…To distract his mind he asked:

"Why were you quarelling?"

"Ah, nothing." Sawyer waved his hand. "This rascal put a dead rat into my sea chest."

"Sweet Jesus!" groaned Horatio. Rats? Here?

"Not as horrible as you think." said the older midshipman. "It's just a joke…"

"Just a joke!" cried out Pellew. " You would have to see your face… You were screaming like a girl!"

"No, I was not!" Sawyer snatched up the book again. "You must apologize!"

Horatio giggled. At this moment a marine put his head round the door.

"Sirs, the captain is waiting for you on the deck!"

"We are sailing!" shouted Pellew and the three boys rushed up the stairs.

I hope you liked it! Please, continue reviewing! I need you critics!


	3. Chapter 3

And here is the next! This is the longest since then. And the best I think.

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Chapter 3

"I think I'm seasick!" whimpered Horatio, squatting down on the timbers.

"I'm sure you are." answered Hammond quickly.

They were on deck because they were to be on watch from midnight to four in the morning. The night was clear and the stars were shining. The Raisonable was slipping smoothly through the water, but not smoothly enough for Horatio…

"I'm going to vomit!" he said in a trembling voice.

"Please, not on the deck!" warned him the Lieutenant. The boy struggled to his feet and leaned over the handrail. Hammond turned away, his heart sinking. He knew that every new crewman must endure this. When he was younger he'd suffered too, but he always felt  
compassion when he saw a new seaman in anguish. Horatio felt a little better, and he crouched down again with his back to the timbers. There was silence for a while but Hammond suddenly heard a sound like a mew of a small kitten. At first he didn't know what it was, but when he found out, he was astonished.

"Mr Nelson, are you crying?" he asked undermined.

"No!" screamed the lad, he hiccuped and burst out sobbing.

"Oh, oh, it's all right!" Hammond kneeled down to Horatio and carefully embraced his shoulders. "Don't cry!"

"No… go away… don't touch me!" whined the child, but the Lieutenant continued to hug him.

"Please, don't cry!" he muttered gently. "What happened? Why are you upset?"

"I want… want to go… home… " snivelled the midshipman. Hammond smiled. _"We just started our journey and he is already homesick!"_ But he didn't say anything, only gave his handkerchief to Horatio, who dried his eyes and blew his nose. The boy calmed down a bit, and rested his head against the Lieutenant's chest and continued the crying quietly. They stayed like this for a long time, motionless.

The sound of footsteps was heard from the stern, and somebody came with a lantern in his hand. Hammond stood up and prepared to give a report if it had been his superior, but he relaxed immediately.

"Good evening, doctor!" he greeted the newcomer. A tall, muscular man appeared from the dark. The light of the storm lamp illuminated his serious face, long nose, cold, emotionless blue eyes and his strictly combed, dark red hair.

"Good evening, Mr Hammond!" he answered in a deep, sonorous voice. " I see, you are doing your duties diligently…"

He looked on Horatio's face which was still covered with tears, the wet handkerchief in his hand, and Hammond's telescope, which was lying under a cannon.

"Ah, we had some little problems." said the Lieutenant while he kicked out at the spyglass. "Mr Nelson is seasick…"

"You may laugh," sighed the doctor and he sat down to a barrel. "Me too."

Hammond giggled indeed, but Horatio rather wondered.

"I came up because of this." continued the man. "There isn't any fresh air in that hole we call the 'cabin'. Have the carpenters never heard about windows!"

"Windows, of course." murmured the Lieutenant. "Curtains and flower pots in the gun-ports, why not?"

"I think it can be very decorative." answered the doctor. "To say nothing of the strategic importance."

"Strategic importance!"

"Indeed. The enemy see them and laugh themselves to death."

Horatio listened, his mouth open. Are these adult men speaking seriously? He shook his head surprised. He listened to their funny wrangling for a while, but he soon yawned and looked up the sky.

"Oh, how many stars there are!" he said loudly, and the other two looked at him.

"You never saw stars before?" asked the doctor.

" I saw." answered the boy. "But not clearly, like this. I never spent a night under the sky."

"Let's count how many isosceles triangles we can find!" suggested Hammond.

"The isosceles triangles are boring." the doctor silenced him. "But I found a dragon."

Horatio gazed at the stars with curiosity. He wanted to find a new constellation too.

"Hey!" he cried out suddenly. "There's a smiling face!"

The two followed the boy's pointing finger with their eyes.

"Yes, yes." said Hammond. "That is the constellation called Smilie. It was discovered by Smiley, the great astronomer."

"That's can't be true." Horatio shook his head. "You are just joking, sir."

"Me? Joking? Did you hear, Doctor Clive? He said I was joking!"

"Because you _were_," answered the doctor with a smile. "There isn't any constellation called Smilie."

"How do you know that, you lubber? You just finished university and you think you know everything. You haven't even begun your career. This is your first voyage and you are contradicting me."

"I know there is no Smilie."

"Why don't you believe me? Ask tomorrow! Ask anyone on the ship!"

"You can trick a new midshipman with this, but not me! You won't make a clown of me! There isn't Smilie, I have told you and that's that!"

"What did you say? How you abuse me! A freshly-qualified barber!"

"Who is the freshly-qualified barber, you ham-fisted powder monkey!" ... and on and on in this manner for a half hour or longer.

When they took a minute's break for breath in the heat of the debate, Hammond turned to Horatio. He motioned 'shush!' to Clive with his finger, and pointed to the midshipman. Horatio, with his head on a coil of rope, was sleeping sweetly.

---

Algrene: Thank you the nice review! And yes, I think the little Pellew was short and fat. He was't a thin elf as an adult too! I hope I didn't disturbed you with this. And continue writing – my only reviewer. :-)

The next will come after a week, I think.


	4. Chapter 4

Here is the next. I have time to update just at the weekend, so sorry for the late. I hope you will like it!

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Chapter 4

The sunshine was flaming, the blue sea was glittering, there weren't any clouds on the sky. The Raisonable was cutting through the waves elegantly, heading south, the wind was singing in the rigging. On the deck orders were sounded, the bare feet of the sailors were slapping, the never-ending noise was buzzing: the ship was living her everyday life.

The three midshipmen were sitting in the shadow of the stern, with their slates in their hands. They were deep in the exercise which had been set by Hammond. Horatio was sitting cross-legged, bent over his slate, his chalk was running swiftly. Sawyer was lying flat near him, he was waving his legs in the air. The chubby Pellew was sitting on a chair (his legs didn't reach the floor) and he was trying to see the answers of the other two.

"Mr Pellew, please solve your problem alone!" Hammond ordered him. Perhaps he had eyes in the back of his head, because he had been talking with two other lieutenants until now.

"What do you say to that? How can he give me orders?" grumbled Pellew.

"I think because he is a lieutenant". murmured Horatio, without looking up. He was already used to to the boy's constant dissatisfaction.

"But he just became a lieutenant!" continued Pellew. "He has barely passed his exam and he bosses us around as if he were the Adirality! Even though I've been in the navy longer than he!"

"Can you shut your mouth!" Sawyer snapped at him . "You are fifteen years old, he is twenty-three. It's a big difference, mainly in your brains."

"But it isn't fair! It's all right if he gives orders to the doctor or Horatio, I could understand that, because they are fresh to the service, like him, but he had no business giving orders to me."

"Leave me out of this." asked Horatio. He was fed up with his novice status.

"One: Hammond isn't a novice, this is his third voyage as a lieutenant. Two: the doctor is just inexperienced and he doesn't know yet what a hard life it is, working in a ship. Three: Horatio is already better than you because he has nearly finished his exercise, but you haven't written anything. So please, shut up!" explained Sawyer with forced gentleness.

"Silent, sirs, get on with your work!" said Hammond, without looking at them.

Of course he heard what the midshipmen said but he didn't want to upbraid them in front of the whole ship. He didn't want to make a complete fool of himself. So he waited a while, and then approached the boys.

"Finish now, quickly, quickly, sirs! We can't spend the whole day onthis!"

The midshipmen gave him their slates one after the other, and he tried to keep his countenance while he was studying the strange workingson them.

"Mr Pellew, this is completely hopeless. You used the wrong formula. I see you don't understand this. Please learn it for tomorrow!" he said and he managed to keep his face straight. Pellew muttered something and took back his slate.

"Mr Sawyer, this is good. Except the end. If you write down all of the steps, you will get the right result."

Sawyer nodded and corrected his mistake. Hammond now picked up Horatio's slate and he stared at it with wonder. He expected that the little novice would not have done anything, but the slate was full with the correct working and the right answer!

"Oh my!" he said spontaneously, but he controlled himself. "You can go now. Mr Nelson, please stay here for a moment." he waited until the other boys had gone, and then he bowed down to Horatio.

"How did you get the right result?"

"I think it was logical." mumbled the child. Hammond cleaned the slate and wrote a new exercise on it.

"Try to solve this." he knew it was a difficult example but he wanted to be sure of himself. He didn't turn away at this time, he watched the child with curiosity while he wrote without stopping on the slate.

"Ready, sir!" reported Horatio. Hammond checked the working and he gasped for breath : the result was right!

"Thank you, Mr Nelson, you can go." he said and his voice shivered. He didn't wait for the answer, just rushed down to the wardroom, to the captain. He shoved the slate into Suckling's hands and cried out:

"This is your cousin's work, sir!"

Suckling looked at the exercise with surprise.

"He did it alone? He didn't cheat?"

"No, no, I was near him, I saw it!"

The two men looked at each other without a word, for a long time. Hammond started speaking first.

"I think this boy is a born sailor!"

The captain couldn't speak, just nodded slowly.

---

I don't know when can I take here the 5th. So update till then! I think you will have a plenty of time…


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry about this long pause. But I have a lot to do in the school (this is my last year), and Ruth, my fried who corrects my grammar, was busy too. But now here is the fifth chapter, which is the longest!

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Chapter 5

Horatio was wildly wiping the lens of his telescope, in vain. He only saw dim, blue and white blobs evenwhen the glass was totally clean. Finally, when he tried it for the hundredth time (when he felt his eyes would jump out and his head explode because of strain), he noticed something.

"There is a black thing!" he said and let down his telescope. Sawyer took it from his hand and lookedthrough it.

"That's a ship." he said after a brief look. "She's heading for us."

"Let me see!" cried Pellew, and he snatched the spyglass from hisfriend's hand. "Oh, just a petty frigate!"

They were standing on the quarterdeckAbove them the sun was scorching through the veil-clouds. The air was humid and sultryThe wind, which was driving the foreign ship towards them, was hot too. As she came nearer and nearer, the boys could see her with  
their own eyes.

"She's under full sail**,"** stated Sawyer. "Why is she hurrying so much?"

"There's a French flag on her." said Pellew, still holding the telescope in front of his eye. They were watching the frigate in silence, their brains dull because of the heat.

"Hey, listen!" Horatio began uncertainly "If a ship comes straight at us with open sails…"

Pellew burst out laughing.

"_What have I said wrong now?**"**_ thought Horatio bitterly

"You can hoist a sail or raise it, but you can't open it." explained Sawyer.

"Ahha. I wanted to suggest that we tell the captain. Maybe she is an enemy ship."

The two other midshipmen stared at each other.**  
**  
"Of course she is!" cried Sawyer. "I shall run for the captain!"

After a few minutes the deck was filled with peopleMen were running here and there, orders were shouted, the pipes were screeching urgently. Horatio was standing helpless in the middle of the confusion. His first sea battle was about to begin, and he didn't know what he should do. _"__Perhaps I have to give orders to my men?"_ he thought hesitantly. Suddenly Hammond rushed out from the wardroom.

"For God's sake, Mr Nelson, don't stand here idle!" he shouted, but the noise nearly drowned his voice. "Command your men to come up on deck!"

Horatio smiled at the Lieutenant with thanks and hurried away. In the between-decks the crowd was much bigger and he had to shout so that the others could hear him.

**"**Ahoy men, all hands on deck!"

Sawyer ran near him with a sword in his hand. There was somethingfrightening in his eyes. Horatio snatched his arm.

"What do you want?" theolder midshipman bawled at him.**  
**  
"What do I have to do?"

Sawyer looked around impatiently, but bowed down to his friend's ear and shouted in it:

"Hardly anything. Just repeat the captains orders to the sailors."

"But I don't know what the orders mean!"

"That's no problem, they will know. You have only to copy them. It isn't difficult!"

Sawyer patted Horatio on the back and ran away. The boy turned to do what his friend toldhim to and he found himself face-to-face with one of his men. He was lively, middle-aged man, with brown eyes and hair, and a unkempt stubble. Horatio only just remembered his name.

"All right, Matthews!" he cried out, paying no attention to the man's biting grin. "Where are the others? Go up on deck!"

He rushed up the companionway with his men behind him.

By the time they took their place near the plank further back from the guns, the French frigate was in clear sight. They could read her name: _Neptun_, announced the winding letters.

"Damned pirates!" murmured Matthews behind Horatio. "They've attacked so many English merchant ships. But now they will pay for it!"

The marines took out their pistols and cutlasses. The deckrumbled as the cannons were pushed to their places. The sailors were looking at the enemy ship with resolution but there was no fear on theirfaces. The _Neptun_ fired the first volleyHoratio heardonly the bangand then pieces of wood were showering onto the deck. Smoke covered the French ship and her crew. There was a series of explosions, the Raisonable shuddered and acrid, white fog covered the deck. Horatio clutched his ear with fright.

"Nothing, sir!" said Matthews. "That was our fire."

As the two ships came closer to each other, the volleys became more frequent and they were causing more damage. The shuddering of the deck and the showering of splinters were continuous but there were screams of people already. Horatio turned when he heard the  
first cry of pain. On the deck a marine writhed, his red blood shining through the smoke Horatio quickly tore his eyes away because he felt sick. A cannon-ball hit the mainsail-yard which fell on the deck,tangled in linen and rope.

"Clear the deck!" shouted someone. Sailors ran up with hatchets in their hands. They cut it into pieces quickly and scatteredit in the water. The next volley of theNeptun ripped two gun-ports into one. Shouts of fear and pain were heard from the tween-decks_"__I believe that a frigate is no match for a ship of the Line!"_ thought Horatiofearfully.

"For God's sake!" came Captain Suckling's voice from the quarterdeck. „Give them what for!"

The next volleys caused terrible damage on the _Neptun_. One shot totally devastated the foremast, an othertore into the windows of the stern and showered splinters all over the place. In the next moment shrill clapping was heared from the _Neptun_, and Horatio felt as though a bee was buzzing near his ear. The marines of the _Raisonable_ stopped firing immediately.

"Grapple her!**"** shouted Captain Suckling. Ropes and hooks flew to the deck of the enemy frigate. The two ships ran into each other with a grating sound.

"Attack them!" roared the captain.

"Attack them!" screamed Horatio and he jumped onto the deck of the _Neptun_ with his men. He fired his pistol and a Frenchman fell down dead in front of him. He leapt over him, pulled out his sword and threw himself into the battle. A strange fighting spirit came over him. He was brandishing his weapon like a madman, releasing all his fear and excitement at once. He was attacking and defending like a experienced swordsman There was a big crowd around him. Almost every stroke he made caused a wound. For a moment he saw Pellew, wrestling with a sturdy sailor, who was thrashing a bar about. Hot blood splattered on his hand, but he didn't feel sick now. A French marine dashed against him, Horatio jumped aside, but he stumbled on a rope, and fell over. He tried to stand up but the Frenchman stood over him with a cutlass in his hand.

"Oh my God!" thought the boy. But the marine suddenly groaned and collapsed. Matthews was smiling behind him.

"Thank you!" said the midshipman but the sounds of the battle drownedhis voice.

There weren't as many men around him now. He climbed up the quarterdeck ladderand looked down on the men fighting. The battle was nearly overMost of the _Neptun_'s crew surrendered. Horatio caught sight of Sawyer who was down on his knees,trying to strangle a French artilleryman.

"Why doesn't he use his sword?**"** asked the boy from himself. But now the last resistance fighters threw down their weapons.

"We won!" shouted someone in English.

"Huzzah!" answered a choir oftired but happy voices.

"Did we win?" Horatio looked around . There were as many French dead on the deck as English, in his opinion. But he felt something warm around his heart.

He started cheering with the others.

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Again, I'm sorry, and I warn you the next chapter will come late too!


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